Automatic crab-catching device



Oct. 7, 1930. F. BURNS ET AL 7 AUTOMATIC CRAB GATCHING DEVI CE FiledJuly 11, 1929 2 Sheets-Shoo 1 Oct. 7, 1930. F. BURNS ET A UTOMATIC CRABCATCHING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 11, 1929 TeaZd 1'28 Fran Q7715,

Patented Oct. 7, 1930 i 1: ifBANI; BURNS; or. GU F ORT, AND THEODORE J,DESPORTE, on BILoxI, m ssxsslriax AUTOiVIATIG; oRA a oAmmm nnyien: i

H r V 'bpiilicationfiled'qulyi1, This invention relates tdifishefyanglhas special reference to a boatequipped to catch (:rab

crabhingboatg Theselines haye theii' ends atteehed to b'uoys moored inposition by suitableanchorages at'intei valsalong slich a lineere. shortlines the ,line to the' other huoyo This, of course, lifts the line fromthe bottom whereit nor- 1'5 many lies and s h r s s Cling to the baitsare broughtto thesuifeceso that a (lip net mayi beluse'cl to liftthemout of the .waterjinto theboat. 11 15 Operation is frequently termedundef-nunni gthe line.. A

i meli is fies by 1 Si l rm s is fl easy, s: 1 ia 1lyin 9 r in ywe th nio 8111- lee Perso itoh mfle h the.l h p brought npto the surface. Evenwhen the] be sm by w Pe son e t h ndl hel and the h r he l 'hy c bs relost by; their d opping the bait before the net eenj b e: gotteninjposition to lift them,

tion is to proyieleen improved form of cfabhing device wherebypractically all -crabs in nnderrunning the line will be I y y y I v 16whereon is'inounted gt forwarclrollenll hr ghwpl d iinpo t'gint bbjectiIofthe invention is to provide "an improved embbing clevice whichniay becombined with aQmotor boat and in, which thebpemtions of-undenrunningthe l f 4 .1linew-andezitehingitheferabs WilLbe entirelyCme-perahtomatic so that :the service of ony son isneeessei y ihctheboat;

some and Withe greaesaving in time.

for liftihg the ci'ibs intdtheboat; the elevaton W Y fishe y itislcolnlnonto use long llnjes ,son etiniesh mile or more inlength} ofthe invention isto previlleatnotor boat snpported'crahbing 4 Ydevice sothat extremely long linesm y be" used without riieliing; thev Work 'toob'urclenhaving its opeiation efiecteclby the movement oiftheboet-throughthe Wiitl. v With the above-and otherfo will :be hereinafterapp areht, the invention consists ingeneral of certain novel details ofconstruction and combinations of parts here umrrensnus 'mr'ewr-orpreciabjects in View as ineftenfully described,filliistratedin the accompany-ing V drawings. elaimecl. I it 7 In the accompanying drawings likeeharaeters of reference indicate several Views,ancl: Figure 1 is a sideelevation of equipped-With this invention. i

Figure 2is wplan ieW-thereof; 1

' othe line 3%3" of land 5 specifically "Figure 331s a "seetlon 0Figure-2; 1

Figure l is an enl'er ofFionrel. Figure 5i's an enlarged view showing ap013 tion of the line and a; be itfholder attached" theret'o Figureshowing a frnodificatijon of' the invention.

In the embodiment of the invention fhere* shownthei'e is disclosed aboat 10having suit;

ged s'ectien on the line? gine 111 Onthe gunwales 12of,,theb0at are tmounted bearings 13' supporting the for ward One important object of thepresent inyeni "shaft 14 anclfthe aftershaft 15. Theseshafts onthoar'cllHThe forward shaftl has ,its outboard eiid bent forwardly to'suppoit abracket aftof which is a second roller 18.' Onthejoutroller 19. ThelineQOQfwith the cleyice'inuse, runsllp'ffoin the bottom outefthewatef and"passes"oveitheioller17,1i11cler rollei 18 and f oyer'r0lle1119 haekintothe water. Pidj ecting from thesideof the boat'on the seine sideesjthe tellers" dre' brackets 21 which ,snpport a Ward laterally flaringand verticallytipe ing encls offthe parallel sidediportiomes W ll es atsuitable places along saidportionifaie conlike paints in the a boat GiseView similar to Figure 3 but ablepropellingmeans as indicated by the en7 .scoop frame 22 having an afterparalle'l sided V portiondf' Channel ortrough shape and aforpoftion 23.1 Thisfra ne is eovered with Wite meshcloth 24 and at the t'oiwvafcland"after 1 eite'ntlaithwiirtship's of theboat and project bb arcl'en cl of the aftei'fslia ftis mounted a linescoop and a conveyor belt 26 of fabric or wire mesh runs over theserollers. This scoop is open at its after end and at that end is providedwith an athwartship extension 27 which runs inboard over the gunwale. Itwill be noted that this scoop lies below the line 20 and that itsforward end dips into the .water while the after end has its bottomatleast as high as the gunwale at the point opposite said after end. 1

Journaled below the after end -of'thescoop is a shaft 28 whereon ismounted a partially submerged paddle wheel 29 which is connected by anysuitable gearing or driving-connection with the shaft of the afterroller 251 This driving connection is here indicated by a crossed belt30 andpulleys 81 but beveled gears may be employed instead and in mostcases arepreferred. Any other form of gearing may also be used.

Along the line 20 are spaced bait holders 32 which are hung fromclamping sleeves 33 clamped at desired intervals on the line.

In the modification shown in Figure 6 the scoop is provided withan openbottom portion 34 and a conveyor 35 is supported on brackets 36 in suchmanner that its upper run closes this open bottom, the upper run of theconveyor thus forming a movable-floor or bottom section for "the scoop.

, In using this boat norudder is necessary 1 as the line 20 guides theboat and in opera tion the boat. is positioned at onebuoy and headedtoward the other. The portion of the line running towards the other buoyis, of course, that which runs over the forward line roller. The engineis now started and, asthe boat moves toward the other buoy the line willbe under-runand the paddle wheel will rotate to operate the conveyor.Any crabs clinging to the baits will be lifted so they are above theforward end of the scoop, being shaken off as the bait lines striketheforard line roller. Due to the flow of water past the boat these crabswill be carried onto the conveyor end by it conveyed-up to theathwartships end and thus-pass into the boat.

' There has thus been provided a simple and kind described and foreiiicient device of the the purpose specified.

It. isobvious that minor changes may be madein the form and constructionof the invention without departing from the material spirit thereof"Itis not, therefore, desired to .confine the; invention to the exactform herein shown and described, but it is-desired to includeall suchasproperlycome within the scopeclaimed. g H Having thus described theinvention what is claimed as new, is: r

1. The combination with a boat of means carriedbythefboat forunder-running a crab lme a scoop carried by the boat and having itsforward end below water beneath the crab lmaand itsi enie l adina to hat below the water and its after end above the gunwale of the boat atsaid after end, the afterend of said scoop having an athwartshipsportion extending inboard over sai gunwale and open at its inner end.

3. The combination with a boat; of means supported at the side of saidboat for underrunning a crab line, a scoop supported infore and aftposition at the side. of the boat beneath the raised portion of the crabline and having its forward end projectingbelow the water and its afterend above the gunwale of the boat at said after end, the after end ofsaid scoop having an 'athwartships portion extending inboard over saidgunwale ,and open at its inner end, and a conveyor in said scooparranged to move crabs in the scoop from the forward to the after end ofthe scoop. w v 4. The combination with a boat; of means supported at theside of said boat for underrunning a crab line, a scoop supported infore and aft position at the side of the boat beneath the raised portionof the crab line and having itsfforward end projecting below the waterand its after end above the gunwale of the boat at said after end, theafter end of said scoop having an athwartships portion extending inboardover said gunwale and open at its inner end,ia conveyor in said scooparranged to move crabsin the scoop from the forward ,to the after end ofthe scoop, and

means operated by the'movement of the boat through the water foroperating'said conveyor.

5. The combination witha'boat; of means carried by therbroat'forunder-running a crab line, a scoop carriedby the boat and having itsforward end below water beneaththe crab line and its upper end leadinginto the boat, a, conveyor in said scoop arranged to move crabs in thescoop from the forward to the after en'd of the scoop, a driving drum insaid scoop carrying the after end of said conveyor, a shaft for saiddrum extending outboard of the conveyor, a partly submerged paddle:

wheel below the after end of said conveyor,

a shaft supportingsaid wheel, and a driving 7 p 125 6. The combinationwith a boat; of means supportedat theside of said boat for underrunning7 a crab line, a scoop. supported in connection between said shafts.

fore and aft position a t theside of the boat eneafln he seiseiirqit eeQ fi e r i and having its forward end projecting below the Water and itsafter end above the gunwale' of the boat at said after end, the afterend of said scoop having an athwartships portion extending inboard oversaid gunwale and open at its inner end, a conveyor in said scooparranged to move crabs in the scoop from the forward to the after end ofthe scoop, a driving drum in said scoop carrying the after end of saidconveyor, a shaft for said 'druni extendingoutboard of the 6011- veyor,a partly submerged paddle heel below the after end of said conveyor, ashaft supporting said Wheel, and a driving connection between saidshafts.

In testimony whereof We afiix our signatures. T

FRANK BURNS; THEODORE J. DESPORTE.

